News

Bomgaars Family Gives Money to Expo Center

(Moville) -- A major contribution was made yesterday for a new exposition center by the family that owns several farm supply stores within the Siouxland region. Roger and Jane Bomgaars contributed a half a million dollars for the naming rights and the seed money for a new Agricultural Exposition Center to be located at the Woodbury County Fairgrounds in Moville. Originally, the new building was to serve as a regional equestrian center, but Doug Hodgins, the development director of the center says it will be expanded to host many other ag related events. The total cost of the project is between six and seven million dollars and officials hope to start the construction on the facility within the next year.

(LeMars) -- The District Judges of the 3B judicial election sub-district have selected Peggy Frericks to serve as the Plymouth County Clerk of Court beginning January 6th. Peggy Frericks of LeMars worked in the Plymouth County Clerk of Court office for ten years before serving as a case coordinator in court administration beginning in 2005. Peggy brings a wealth of knowledge of court operations to the job having worked with court administration over the last several years as the Electronic Document Management System has been implemented.

(LeMars) -- Tree stumps are no longer welcome at the Plymouth County Landfill. That decision was made Wednesday evening by the Plymouth County Solid Waste Agency and its board of directors. Solid Waste Agency manager Mark Kunkel says it was a topic that garnered a lot of discussion at the board meeting, but because of the expense and growing concerns, the board approved the action to stop accepting tree stumps. Kunkel says the board looked into the cost of purchasing a machine that would grind the stumps, but at $70,000 it just would not be feasible. Kunkel says the county landfill's decision to stop accepting tree stumps is effective immediately.

(LeMars) -- Have you made your party plans for New Year's Eve? Why not check out the LeMars Chamber New Year's Eve dance. Live music, dancing, snacks, noisemakers and fun -- that's what awaits the people attending the LeMars Chamber of Commerce New Year's Eve Dance. The Main Street Organizational Committee will be hosting a New Year's Eve dance on Saturday, December 31st at the Willow Creek golf course party room. DJ Ray Sitzmann will provide musical entertainment. The event will start at 9:30 p.m. and conclude at 12:30 a.m. The cost of the event is $10 per person.

(LeMars) -- What are the stories that we will remember from 2011? The Missouri River flooding? The Homecoming of the local National Guard Units? The opening of the new Well's Ice Cream Parlor? Perhaps it was the Mayor and City Council elections? or the School Levy that passed? Who can forget the triple digit temperatures of the summer? or the extreme dry conditions during harvest that prompted several field fires and a fire ban? We had land sell for a record price of $20,000 an acre and a tragic shooting in Kingsley that left a teen ager dead. Next week KLEM will look back on 2011 and highlight the news stories that made the headlines.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Ethanol production in Iowa has increased to a record 3.7 billion gallons in 2011. The production for the state's 41 plants has jumped by about 200 million gallons from last year. Monte Shaw, the executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, says the industry has relied on export markets for growth. The overall production for ethanol in the U.S. for 2011 is estimated at 13.8 billion gallons,. Foreign sales of U.S. ethanol have added an additional 1 billion gallons of production this year. Much of the foreign demand has come from Brazil. A shortfall in the sugar cane crop caused that nation to turn to imports for domestic use.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - The number of Iowans seeking permits to carry handguns and other weapons has increased 170 percent this year. The Des Moines Register is reporting in a copywrite story that nearly 95,000 Iowans receivednon-professional weapons permits from January through November. That's according to data from the Iowa Department of Public Safety. The surge comes as a new law gives sheriffs less discretion over who can be denied permits. Numbers from the state's three most populous counties show an even greater surge. The number of permits issued thus far in 2011 has spiked 271 percent in In Polk, Linn and Scott counties. But Scott County Sheriff Dennis Conard says few problems have emerged despite the increase. Conrad says those who qualify for a permit are not likely to cause trouble.

OSAGE, Iowa (AP) - An Iowa man has donate a ton of dog food to the Humane Society of Northern Iowa in Mason City. Garth Jordan of Osage made arrangements though the Osage Cooperative Elevator to purchase 50, 40-pound bags of food and have it delivered to the shelter yesterday.

Landfill Says No to Tree Stumps

(LeMars) -- Tree stumps are no longer welcome at the Plymouth County Landfill. That decision was made Wednesday evening by the Plymouth County Solid Waste Agency and its board of directors. Solid Waste Agency manager Mark Kunkel says it was a topic that garnered a lot of discussion at the board meeting, but because of the expense and growing concerns, the board approved the action to stop accepting tree stumps.

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Kunkel says the board looked into the cost of purchasing a machine that would grind the stumps, but at $70,000 it just would not be feasible.

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(LeMars) -- Floyd Valley Hospital employees have made a donation to the LeMars Back Pack program. At their Christmas luncheon held Wednesday, a check was presented to Brenda Nohava from Mary Helen Gibson representing the Floyd Valley Hospital. Gibson says in past years Floyd Valley hospital would offer a gift to their employees, but many times the employees would refuse to accept the gift, and instead instruct the hospital to offer that gift to someone else. Gibson says it was through the generosity of the hospital employees that led the hospital to give the option to its employees.

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The check was in the amount of $930 or $10 per employee. Gibson says the donation represents about one-third of the hospital employees. She says some employees chose to accept the gift, but they also made a donation to the local charity. Gibson says it's not just at Christmas time that the hospital employees are generous. She says many local programs have benefitted from the employees' generosity throughout the entire year.

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For the past two years Floyd Valley employees have donated both money and their time for the "Then Feed Just One" project, and they have contributed can goods to the Christian Needs Center, and the employees have adopted a family in need.

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Over the course of the entire year, the Floyd Valley Hospital employees have contributed more than $15,000 to various charitable organizations and events.

(Storm Lake) -- Following a joint cooperative investigation by the Sioux Rapids Police Department and the Buena Vista County Sheriff's office into several Sioux Rapids burglaries, a Sioux Rapids man has been charged. On December 21st, the Sioux Rapids Police Department arrested and charged Matthew Chindlund, age 19 of Sioux Rapids with two counts of burglary in the third degree, one count of burglary of a motor vehicle and one count of theft in the second degree. These charges consist of three class D felonies and one aggravated misdemeanor. A search warrant was executed yesterday by the Sioux Rapids police and the Buena Vista sheriff's office. Siezed in the search warrant were several items of stolen property from several area burglaries. Chindlund is currently in custody of the Buena Vista county jail on bond. The investigation is continuing.

(Storm Lake) -- The long-time Storm Lake police department office manager has been fired and charged with theft in connection with missing city funds. Public Safety director Mark Prosser says 43-year old Lee Martin of Storm Lake was arrested Tuesday in connection with an investigation that began earlier this month. On December 2nd, Prosser was notified of possible irregularities in funds transferred from the public safety office to city hall. On December 6th, Martin was placed on administrative leave and Prosser ordered an investigation. Police allege Martin had been taking cash from deposits transferred to city hall totaling over 12-thousand dollars in the past 12 months, and also altered receipts. Additional investigation is underway into previous years of cash transfers from Martin's office to city hall. Martin worked for the public safety department the past 21 years. Prosser says the very person charged with insuring the department's books were balanced and funds were appropriately transferred to city hall is the one who allegedly was circumventing the system. He termed it a very disappointing case of violation of the public's trust. Prosser says additional safeguards have been put into place to insure that similar incidents are prevented. Tuesday afternoon, Martin was charged with ongoing criminal conduct, and first-degree theft. Martin was jailed on a $35,000 bond and her employment with the city was terminated.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Gov. Terry Branstad says Iowa's gas tax will eventually increase but there will be enough money in the state's transportation budget to avoid an increase next year. In an interview, the governor says he has asked transportation department officials to find $50 million in savings, and the department expects to have an extra $128 million for projects in 2012 because of favorable bids, budget savings and more federal funding. Branstad says 2012 should be a robust year for road-building programs in Iowa. He says he expects a gas tax increase "down the road" to support a projected $200 million annual shortfall. Democratic State Sen. Matt McCoy, of Des Moines, says he expects lawmakers will push for a phased-in gas tax increase when they convene Jan. 9.